This guy loves his frisbee. He could chase it all day long, if only someone would throw it all day long. He's chewed a hole in it, which is getting progressively bigger. Sometimes he even puts his head all the way through the hole and prances around with it around his neck like a necklace. No kidding.

I've finally finished this epic shawl. Three skeins of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace, most of it in garter stitch. The edges are worked in a feather and fan pattern, with a picot bind-off.

There's no telling when I started this shawl. I had several false starts and ended up ripping back a number of times. All I know is that it's been my "travel" knitting for at least a year. The garter stitch was so mind-numbing that I could only stand to knit a round or two at a time. So I'd do a couple rounds, then switch over to something more exciting. But when it got down to the actual patterning, it went like a breeze.

Lesson learned: garter stitch, especially when worked in the round, is not for the faint of heart. Like me, apparently.

But now that it's done, I'm in love. What was fairly dense on the needles blocked out to be light and airy fabric with a wonderful drape.

I'm a sucker for notebooks. I have a tendency to buy them without thinking how many I have at home. They have to be cute, of course, and they'd better not have something silly like "Notebook" printed across the front. Of course it's a notebook, what did you think it was?!

Travel journals seem to have "Notebook" or "Travel Journal" stamped across the front more often than other journals. This drives me nuts, as it's difficult to find a travel journal without those words. So, I made my own! The first (smaller) notebook, I made from a kit from PaperSource (I got the kit in a store, but can't seem to find one on the website). The second I made on my own. The process is so easy, quick, and addictive, it's all I can do to keep from making journal after journal after journal!

I've been keeping travel journals ever since I moved out here. It's a way to plan trips, keep track of what we actually saw, and make note of the things we missed and want to see if we ever make our way back to that place. One notebook has a world map...my grand plan is to consolidate all my travel journals into that one, but I haven't quite found the time for that just yet.

The second, as you can see, is Italy. Mike and I are planning to go on our honeymoon there in just a few short months! I'm almost as excited to have a nice travel journal for the trip as I'm excited for the honeymoon itself...

Busy bee, busybody, busy, busy, busy. I'm not sure why I can't sit still, but I am constantly going round and round, and round and round. The ideas go around in my head, and then there are things that absolutely must get done right. this. minute.

Like this. I saw something in a yarn store, and decided I had to make it. What's more, I decided that I had to spin the yarn myself. Now, I haven't picked up my spindle in a couple of years, and I've never actually spun enough yarn to make something real before. But by golly, I was going to do it this time!

The fiber is Blue-Faced-Leicester, and very soft. I spun medium weight, then plied two strands together. The result was nice and bulky, fluffy, and springy.

It turned out there wasn't enough yarn to make what I was thinking of in the first place, so I made a luscious cowl instead.

I can't say I'm looking forward to winter, but this might just help take the bite out!